To ensure the most optimum possible care of the patient and optimum operation of a cardiac pacemaker or similar device, it is often necessary in practice to adapt the programming of the device on the basis of the course of the aftercare and the current constitution of the patient.
In some cases, a programming device is used for reprogramming the implant, which transmits an altered program for the implant directly into the implant via a typically wireless data communication. For this purpose, programming device and implant must be in a close spatial proximity to one another. This makes it necessary for the patient to visit his physician, a hospital, or another aftercare ward, i.e., a location at which the programming device is kept. The physician and patient must then necessarily be located at the same place at the same time. This necessity is often perceived as burdensome, and in particular it restricts the mobility of the patient.
The present invention may provide a system for the remote programming of a programmable personal medical device, in which a program transmission into the programmable personal medical device is possible without physician and patient having to meet. Additionally, the physician may retain the capability of using his familiar programming device.
The invention is based on the insight that a patient intermediary device, as is typically already used for transmitting telemetry data of a device such as a cardiac pacemaker to a service center, may be equipped with a further functionality of a relay station, to transmit a programming instruction prepared in a programming device into the personal medical device, without it being necessary for the wearer of the personal medical device to seek out the programming device. The patient intermediary device is located at a distance from the programming device in an area which is at least regularly sought out by the wearer of the personal medical device, so that the patient intermediary device may be used effectively as an intermediate station for the remote programming of the personal medical device.
Further advantageous designs of the invention are set forth in the claims and in the following description of the preferred exemplary embodiments.